Application Activity #4 - Conflict Management

Application Activity #4 Context:

No matter how much we try to avoid it, we will experience conflict in our lives.  However, being able to identify what might be causing the conflict and employing different conflict management strategies can help us not escalate the conflict and instead resolve it.  Since demonstrating appropriate conflict management strategies is one of the student learning outcomes of the course, instead of having you complete a Nurse Jackie, Show Your Understanding Quiz, or Test the Theory experiment, this last application activity will require you to read a scenario and then appropriately try and manage the conflict. 

Application Activity Instructions:

Step 1:

Please read the scenario below. 

Step 2:

Then, using your knowledge of emotions, conflict management techniques, and relationship maintenance, answer the application activity questions.

Activity Scenario: (Please scroll down for full scenario)

You and Ryan are best friends and roommates.

Over the last six months, it has become clear that you and Ryan are not as similar as you originally thought.  You like to go out and do things, as well as have friends over to your apartment.  Ryan, on the other hand, is much more introverted and quiet. You’ve tried to get Ryan to come out with you, but they would rather stay at home, study, and play video games. You accept Ryan's behavior, because you know they have to get all passing grades this semester to graduate on time.

The other day you came home to your shared apartment and saw Ryan studying for a Chemistry test.  You overheard them saying, “I don’t know why I study or even try. I am so bad at school...even my parents think so! My brain just doesn’t work this way. I am going to fail no matter how much I study.  What am I going to do?  Ahhh! ” You think to yourself that Ryan must just be having another bad day, because you have always perceived them as the type of person that sees the negative in any situation and overreacts. So, you decide to avoid any conflict with Ryan, and head straight to your room.

A couple of days later Ryan says, “I can’t live like this anymore! For my mental health and well being, I need to move out early to live with another friend, a true friend...someone who has my back!  You are never around, you never support me, and you don't care about me or my success in school.  When I needed you the other night, you completely avoided me. We need to break our lease early, so that I can move out.” 

You try to support Ryan by telling them how close they are to being done with college, how hard they have worked recently to get to this point, and how much they mean to you as a friend.  However, it just leads to a shouting match between the two of you, and Ryan ending it with, "Maybe this is a sign that I don’t belong in college anymore." 

Since you both signed the lease, if you break the lease early, you will lose your whole security deposit, which will set you way back financially.  You can't afford to lose this money as you are helping your parents with some of their bills right now, but more importantly you don't want to lose your friendship with Ryan.  They have been there for you through some of your toughest times. 

More concerning, since the yelling match, Ryan hasn’t come out of their room or been to class in over a week. When you try and talk to them, they ignore you and text back, “Leave me alone! I don’t need you to worry about me anymore. I’m just going to drop all of my classes and move back home to be with my family…if I make it to that point.”

Please demonstrate how you would effectively handle this conflict situation by answering the following questions.

6.2

https://open.lib.umn.edu/communication/chapter/6-2-conflict-and-interpersonal-communication/

Question1

When reading the scenario, what aspects of the communication situation did you pick up on most?  What is your interpretation of what they mean?

Question2

What do you feel is the root cause of the conflict? Why?

 

Question3

Please describe to me your strategy for effectively handling this conflict situation with Ryan?  Give me at least two communication or conflict management techniques, that you have learned about this semester, that you would use with Ryan?  Why did you choose those particular techniques?

Question4

Please identify and explain how your strategy demonstrates the seven suggestions for supportive communication.